Practicing Speech Gestures and Public Speaking Body Language

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If you followed sports in Washington DC or New York City during the last four decades or so, you probably remember a TV sportscaster named Warner Wolf. 

He popularized a lot of sayings during his fast paced, upbeat sportscasts, but his most famous probably was,

"Let's go to the videotape..."

Wolf would say those words whenever he wanted to show highlights from the sports event of the moment.

But those words could also be your mantra for improving your skills as a public speaker.

Any public speaking coach will tell you that recording yourself on video is a valuable tool for improving your skills. But I recommend adding a twist to those recorded practice sessions.

Watch them in fast forward mode in addition to viewing them in real time.

It's a marvelous way to understand more about the gestures and body language you display on stage. When you speed up the recording,
you'll notice things that you might normally miss at regular speed.

As a side benefit, it's also entertaining for small children and dogs who may be in the room at the same time. 

Tom Antion, in his book Wake 'Em Up Business Presentations, offers another excellent tip for improving your body language during your speech.

Tom suggests standing in front of a mirror while holding small dumbbells or heavy books in each hand. When the books or dumbbells move, you've located your gestures. This tactic will require some concentration at first because you'll be distracted and will probably forget the words of your speech. But if you keep at it, you'll overcome the problem.

And you'll also eliminate any repetitive or distracting gestures you may not have even known you had.

For more tips on gestures and body language, see Chapter 10, Movement and Appearance, in Tom's book. For more information, click on the book cover below or on Wake 'Em Up Business Presentations.

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